wasting time » lh ; mc

seventeen

"The first person I talked to."

"What's next?"

"I don't know until I see Flan," Michael said. "I've kind of been winging this whole thing."

"Don't you think that's not the smartest way to do this?" Ashton wondered with furrowed eyebrows.

"Michael is cluttered and unorganized but somehow he's accomplished a lot, so," Luke defended, chuckling, "even if I agree with you, just trust him. For now."

Michael quickly corrected, "Trust me always."

The banter was interrupted by Coach Clifford's voice, shouting a, 'Michael, practice started five minutes ago!' to which the younger boy yelled back, "Three minutes ago!" but ran down the bleachers anyway.

"As much as I don't want to admit it, Michael scares me," Ashton said, watching Luke jump from having forgotten he was there, even with asking a question a few minutes ago. He didn't say a word aside from that and the brief hello that Luke got from all of these rugby players he was now left alone with. He had the height advantage but the muscle was completely not in his favor.

"Nah, he's a softie," Luke chuckled. He remembered when he thought something along those lines, though he never thought Michael himself was scary, rather his blind self-destruction that was seemingly invisible to the entire student body. That still scared him, if he had to admit. On a now much higher level than before.

Landon rolled his eyes--again--and said, "Of course you would think that." Ashton was quick to agree with him.

Luke started at the pair. "I don't understand."

"I never understand," Craig interrupts, making his two friends and former teammates groan.

"We know," they said together, looking at him with exhaust. Apparently Landon and Ashton dealt with this a lot.

Turning back to Luke, Landon explained to him, "But, of course you'd think he's a 'softie,' because you guys have a thing."

"We don't..." Luke replied, "I have a date tonight with a girl called Penny."

Ashton shook his head, "You're kidding."

Landon gave him a thoughtful look, though, and then glanced toward the rink where Michael was now occupied with the directions yelled to the team by Coach. "Heart-Eyes Clifford and Insensible Hemmings--"

"--just adorable," Ashton finished, smirking.

Did more people think that he and Michael had a thing? Because, Luke could see why anyone would have the idea. It's not like he hung out with anyone else until two weeks ago, and they do suddenly have a friendship when a lot of people witnessed their not-exactly-friendly first encounter.

And it's not that Luke found it weird, he was just confused. Because it wasn't weird to think about.

+ + +

After practice, Landon, Ashton, and Craig were told by Michael that they'd know as soon as Mrs. Flanagan told him anything. That left him to go into the locker room and Luke soon after it was empty with only the two.